Controlling a number of devices that are involved with processing information can be a difficult task. For example, if a number of devices are involved with processing video information (e.g., video capture and processing), the devices may need to be started in a specific order and/or the devices may need to being processing video information in a specific order or with a specific configuration. The order that the devices start up and begin processing can be even more important in situations where the devices are located remotely from one another and communicate via a computer network.
In some solutions, such devices can be started manually. For example, a user could physically power on one of the devices, log in, and start a specific software application. The user could repeat this process for the other devices in a specific order and using specific configuration options. However, this procedure can be problematic and error prone. For example, the user may need to start software on a first device, switch to a second device to start a different software application, switch back to the first device to establish a network connection to the second device, and so on. Problems can also occur if one of the devices fails (e.g., due to a software crash), which can cause the entire system to fail.
Therefore, there exists ample opportunity for improvement in technologies related to network-controlled video capture and processing.